Santa Clara County Says it Will Honor Huerta, Farmworkers, Not Chavez, on March 31

"The annual César Chávez holiday has always been about much more than a single individual. It is a recognition of the broader movement for justice, dignity, and the rights of farmworkers and working people everywhere."

"The New York Times on Tuesday published the results of an investigation of allegations of decades of sexual abuse by Chávez. Two women told the Times that Chávez abused them for years starting when they were 12 or 13 years old."

Santa Clara County officials announced they will continue recognizing March 31 as an official holiday but will honor the farmworker labor movement and Dolores Huerta rather than César Chávez. This decision follows sexual abuse allegations against Chávez reported by the New York Times. San Jose Mayor Matt Mahan canceled all César Chávez Day events, while San Francisco renamed its 2026 Chavez Day Parade to the Dolores Huerta Parade and Festival. Dolores Huerta, co-founder of the United Farm Workers union, revealed she was sexually abused by Chávez in the 1960s. The César Chávez Foundation stated it is engaging in conversations about its organizational identity with community input and care.

Read at San Jose Inside